So you open your favorite mag, flip
through the fashion section and see tons of awesome outfits
you can’t wait to snap up. The only problem? How the heck are you
supposed to tell which ones will flatter your figure when you don’t
know how to distinguish between an apple, a pear and an hourglass?!

It’s time to demystify body
shapes. Read on for the 411.

If you’re a pear… Your hip
measurements are greater than your shoulder or bust measurements,
creating a triangle with the point facing up toward your head.

If you’re an apple… Your
shoulder and/or bust measurements are greater than your hips,
creating a triangle with the point facing down toward your feet.

If you’re a banana, a ruler or
“boyish”… Your shoulder, bust, waist and hips create a
fairly even, straight line down your body without too much nipping in
at the waist or curviness in the boobs or hips. This is said to be
the most common body shape.

If you’re an hourglass… Your
bust and hip measurements are almost equal and your waist is narrow
and nipped in. It is long considered the ideal body type (think about
the shape an old-fashioned corset gives a woman) in the West, but
it’s certainly not the be-all and end-all of beauty. Just look at
ideas of beauty from around the world!

If you’re petite… The world
petite has come to have two meanings. Typically, it means short—think
under 5’4”. Some retailers use the petite designation to mean
super-small, so petite clothes are slightly shrunken versions of
regular sizes that are intended to fit a smaller frame. Petite women
can have any body shape.

If you’re curvy… Curvy
usually means that you have boobs, a bum and hips. Chances are you
have an hourglass figure with a nipped-in waist, but if your breasts
are a bit larger than your hips or vice versa, you might fall into
the apple or pear category.

If you’re sporty… You might
have broader shoulders and more muscular arms and legs. Often, your
body can look very straight up and down, or a slightly apple-shaped.

Wanna find out what body type you are?
Sometimes, it’s pretty obvious, but you can always grab a tape
measure and measure out your shoulders, bust, waist and hips. Asking
Mom, a friend or a sib to help can make sure your measurements are
accurate.

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